The Problem with Earth Day
Earth Day is problematic. For years the needs and conservation leadership from Black, Brown and Indigenous folks have been ignored by the environmental justice movement despite our communities suffering the most. Across the U.S. we continue to see examples of the inequity built into environmental justice efforts. Cities like Flint, Michigan still don’t have clean…
Read More
CFJ Youth Leading Together with LBUSD to Interrupt Bias in the Classroom
This weekend CFJ youth leaders and staff led a powerful bias training for Long Beach Unified School District teachers and administrators. The session was a unique twist to traditional trainings that center conversations on adults rather than students. CFJ youth leaders led the space and trained LBUSD staff participants on the ways implicit biases show…
Read More
Communities across CA mobilizing in solidarity with Asylum Seekers
While the violence experienced by children, families and young people at the California border may have slipped from the news cycle, it’s important to remember that our government continues to attack and vilify this community. The violence these asylum seekers are fleeing from is directly linked to U.S. intervention in Central America, and yet our…
Read More
Elections are Over; What Does it Mean for California’s Schools?
After a lengthy election cycle that saw mass mobilization of youth and voters of color, Californians for Justice is eager to see how Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom will continue efforts to fully fund our public schools. We are looking to Newsom to be a governor who can lead together with youth, parents, educators and other elected…
Read More
How do you support students and teachers of color?
Most of us kicked off the month of September with the three-day Labor Day weekend celebrating the hard work and organizing efforts of working individuals and families. But looking beyond the holiday, it’s important that we take time to remember that working people — particularly teachers of color — continue to struggle in our communities…
Read More
Don’t be Afraid — Talk about Race with Your Students
As students across the state go back to school, 1 in 3 will fail to identify a single caring adult on campus. For Black, Brown, Native American, Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian Students, these relationships are even more scarce, and students of color frequently report feeling unnoticed and uncared for by teachers and staff. When…
Read More
LeBron James: The Real MVP for Public Schools
Most of us celebrated the Golden State Warriors victories over LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 and 2018 NBA championships. We especially reveled in the 2017 win after James’ Cavaliers broke our hearts in 2016. This summer things changed. We are now celebrating LeBron James. Not only because we beat him, again, but because…
Read More
Something Powerful Is Happening at CFJ
For the last 22 years Californians for Justice has engaged thousands of young people of color to make positive changes in their schools and communities. This work has been possible thanks to the thousands of supporters who have given their time, donations, and more to uplift the voices of young people who are working to…
Read More
What It Will Take To Center Race & Relationships In California Schools
Our state’s true success and prosperity depends on our schools’ capacity to prepare every student to become the next generation of leaders and visionaries. Yet Black, Brown, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American students continue to find themselves separate and unequal, systematically shut out of opportunities for generational success and prosperity. Instead, generations of…
Read More